Hey there! I’m CJ … writer, journalist, photographer and perpetual wanderer. I write about issues related to mental health, neurodivergence, family dynamics, friendship, and aging—particularly as a woman. I am currently at work on a novel, which tells a story involving these same topics.

Since launching my freelance writing career in 2014, my personal essays, narrative nonfiction, and journalism have appeared in Insider, HuffPost, The Guardian, GreenBiz, Mongabay, National Geographic, The Forge Literary Magazine, Southeast Review and many other outlets. As an independent journalist, I’ve primarily covered environmental issues. I’ve also created content—much of it also environmentally themed—for dozens of corporate and nonprofit clients.

In my current work as an essayist and novelist, I aim to tell stories that not only engage and entertain readers, but also help those who need it feel seen. I know what it’s like to struggle to connect with others, to feel out-of-step with the rest of the world. For decades, I lived with a wicked case of undiagnosed ADHD, depression, and the unresolved emotional damage of my childhood and family history. It was a life of wandering and longing, always searching for that place where I fit.

Today, I understand far better the forces, both internal and external, that can make it so difficult to become the people we long to be. And I’m building a life that works for me as a neurodivergent, creative human and member of a loving family. When I feel the need to wander, I head out with my camera, discovering beauty along paths less traveled … but always returning to my beloved Brooklyn, where I live with my husband and daughter.